What Is This Feeling?
by awillowdeeplyscarred
Summary: Gabriella meets Troy and instantly loathes him just because he's something new...but is that the real reason? But when she has odd visions and only he believes her, will her feelings change? Their life journey. Troyella
1. Chapter 1: Loathing

Author's Note: Alas, new writing

**Author's Note: **Alas, new writing! Sorry I haven't updated my other stories, but I'm running low on ideas. Please review and check out Baby-M-xo's profile. She rocks!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**By musiclover94 and Baby-M-xo**

"Mom! I don't want to move again!" a six-year-old Gabriella exclaimed angrily to her mother, who was busying herself with taping a bow closed with packing tape. The loud screech from the tape made Gabriella flinch.

"I know, sweetie. My company's making me." Mrs. Montez said, pushing some dark, wavy hair out of her face.

"If you know, why are you making me?" Gabriella asked.

"We're here!" Gina Montez said enthusitacally to her daughter.

Gabriella looked around the apartment. It was rather small with two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The carpet was a shade of beige and the walls were slightly peeling. Gabriella looked to investigate the rooms. She found that the sleeping rooms were not nearly as bleak as the rest of the apartment. One of the rooms has a fresh-looking coat of pale green paint. She set her small box of belongings on the wooden floor and started to unpack.

"Mom, are there any kids my age in this apartment complex?" Gabriella asked, leafing through a book.

"Yes, I think there are some right across the hallway," she said, "want to meet them?"

Gabriella thought for a moment and said, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because we might move again, and if I make friends with them, I wouldn't see them again!" Gabriella replied.

"I made my company promise not to transfer me until you're out of high school," she said.

"That's a long way away." Gabriella said.

"Oh, come on, go and meet them!" Gina smiled.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Fine."

_RingRing! _The doorbell rang inside Apartment 4A as Gabriella and Mrs. Montez waited outside the door in the dim glow of the fluorescent lights above them, slightly buzzing.

The door creaked open and a young woman, probably in her late thirty's, answered to door.

"Hi, I'm Gina Montez and this is my daughter Gabriella. We just moved in next door and wanted to introduce ourselves." She extended a hand.

"Oh, hello," she said tiredly, shaking her hand.

A boy of about six walked out of one of the rooms and made his way to the door. He was holding a toy basketball under one arm.

"And this is my son, Troy." Mrs. Bolton said.

Gabriella felt something remarkably like hatred coursing through her veins. She couldn't exactly put her finger on why.

Author's Note: Ok, it ended weirdly, but please review! 


	2. Chapter 2: My Life Goal

**Author's Note: **Another chapter! Enjoy and review.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 2: My Life Goal**

**By musiclover94 and Baby-M-xo**

"Gabriella?"

"Yeah, Mom?" she responded, still with her nose in a book.

"We're going to go to the park to meet up with the other parents in the building and their kids. I hear they're all your age!" Gina Montez said, grabbing her coat and smiling at her daughter.

Gabriella scowled. "Mom, I don't want to!"

"Why, sweetie?" she said.

"Because…Troy's gonna be there!" she said desperately. Gina smiled a small smile at her.

"What?" Gabriella said accusingly.

"Do you like him, sweetie?" she asked, looking like a middle schooler again. Gabriella wore a look of utter shock and horror.

"_Mom! _On the contrary, I _loathe _him," she said, returning to her book.

Gina looked shocked and confused. "Why do you hate him, Gabriella?"

Gabriella took a testy breath and said in a snotty voice, "He had this look about him that made me hate him. I really can't put my finger on why."

Gabriella's mom comprehended this for a moment. "Oh, come on sweetie, give it another chance!"

"And why should I?" Gabriella asked hotly.

"It's…It's a beautiful day outside!" she said quickly, gesturing to the window, though which a bright clear blue sky smiled at them.

Gabriella was torn between staying as far away from Troy as possible and reading her book. She rolled her eyes, but decided to go outside and get some fresh air.

Gabriella turned the corner and immediately saw a sea of green: the park. In a corner, in the shade of a blooming magnolia, she saw three moms and four children a bit to the side of the parents.

"Hello Enchante, Ruth, June, and Julie!" Gina smiled and waved.

"Hi Gina! Come over here," the blonde woman said.

"Gabriella, go and play with the kids!"

Gabriella huffed, but because she didn't want to stand in the middle of the park like an idiot, walked over to the group of kids.

One had her nose in a book. Gabriella smiled. At least _someone _here was like her.

One has an enormous afro. Gabriella tried to hide her look of horror.

One was wearing a beret and practicing the jazz square. _What an oddball, _Gabriella thought, _well, at least he doesn't have a 'fro._

One girl was wearing so many sparkles she looked like a walking blonde disco ball. She was pouring over a theatre book.

And then, there was Troy. He was spinning a basketball on his finger with a glazed expression on his face, like this was old hat to him. Gabriella filled with the same hatred she had felt when she first regretfully laid eyes on him. She made her way to the girl with her nose in a book.

"Hi, my name's Gabriella Montez," she said, sitting down next to her.

The girl looked up. "Hi Gabriella, my name's Taylor McKessie."

"What are you reading?" she asked, peering over her shoulder.

"My sister's science book. She's in seventh grade." She said matter-of-factly.

"Same with my sister's science books!" she smiled.

"It's simply fascinating, isn't it?" Taylor said breathlessly.

"What is?" she asked.

"How I can be so close to Troy, yet so far away," she said dreamy-eyed.

What new affection she had for Taylor now vanished. She scowled, stood up, and looked around the vicinity of kids. She came to the awful conclusion that she had to go and talk to Troy, as she knew so one else. She grudgingly made her way to Troy, feeling like she was walking the plank.

"Hi Troy," she said sadly, sitting down.

"Hi Gabriella," Troy said and, much to Gabriella's surprise, stopped spinning the basketball and looked at her.

"What's that?" Gabriella asked, gesturing at the basketball. She knew perfectly well what it was, her sister plays basketball, but she didn't want to sit there like an idiot.

Troy looked as if Gabriella had asked him what color the sky was. "It's a basketball. The rules of basketball are…" He engaged in a long-winded drawl about the finer points of basketball. Gabriella drifted in and out of attentiveness, as she had heard this conversation repeated many times by her sister. _My new life goal, _she thought, _is to get rid of this babbling idiot_. The gentle breeze and the humidity of the day started to take her over and her eyelids began to droop…

She was in a gloomy windowless room, probably underground. There were people there, all dressed in black, some sniffling, and one person positively bawling. Gabriella looked over, intending to comfort the person, but was shocked to find her mom there, draped in black and howling. A girl, probably twelve or thirteen, was hugging her. The comforter looked famialar…no, it _couldn't _be Gabriella herself, she was right there, watching all this. She turned to the person next to her, a teary girl who she didn't know by sight, and asked, "What's going on?"

Before the woman could respond, the dream Mrs. Montez wailed, "She can't be dead, she just _can't _be!"

Gabriella turned to the lady next to her again, starting to get worried. "Who's dead, who?"

"_Gabriella," _a distant voice said, _"wake up, Gabriella…"_

The bright sunlight caused Gabriella to squint as she jumped from the tree trunk she was slumped on like it was white-hot. Her mother was standing over her, looking worried.

"Gabriella, it's time to go," she said, extending a hand so Gabriella could stand up.

"O-okay…" Gabriella said distantly. She was still shaken by what she had seen. As she saw her mother, she was reminded horribly of the mother in her dream. She looked down at herself and saw that her T-shirt was stuck to her skin and she was drenched in a cold sweat.

"Mom?" Gabriella asked as they were making their way back to the apartment.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I had this dr…" Gabriella began, but decided against telling her. She had enough on her mind with the move and getting used to a new location. She didn't need the dream Gabriella had had on her shoulders as well. And it was only a dream…right?

**Author's Note: **Well, I just opened a lot of doors for myself with this story. Updates will come soon and please please please review!


	3. Chapter 3: Einsteinette

**Author's Note: **Please review and check out Baby-M-xo's profile. She's awesome!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except for the drive to write this, yada yada yada…

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 3: Einsteinette**

**By musiclover94 and Baby-M-xo**

Recap…

"I had this dr…" Gabriella began, but decided against telling her. She had enough on her mind with the move and getting used to a new location. She didn't need the dream Gabriella had had on her shoulders as well. And it was only a dream…right?

"Good morning hijas!" Gina Montez said cheerily, scrambling eggs on the stove and gazing fondly at her two daughters.

"Morning, madra," they said, both rubbing their eyes sleepily.

"Two important days; first day of kindergarten and first day of high school!" she positively beamed.

"Mmm, is that bacon I smell?" Megan Montez said appreciatively, smacking her lips together.

"Dig in!" Mrs. Montez smiled, dishing bacon and eggs onto each of their plates.

"No problem, sweetie," she beamed at the pair of them, "You two look so much alike,"

Gabriella looked up at her 14, almost 15-year-old sister. She looked like she just came off the runway, with her perfectly wavy chocolate brown hair and her tan skin. Even just out if bed she looked stunning. In Gabriella's opinion, the similarities stopped at the hair and skin.

"Yeah, I suppose," Megan said, tucking into her eggs with vigor.

Gabriella looked at her mother and sister from across the three-sided-table. An odd sense of foreboding filled her. She quickly broke the gaze and started to nibble at her bacon.

"Welcome to kindergarten, class!" the teacher said happily, towering over the children even in her hunched state.

"Good morning, Mrs. Winterfield," the class said as one.

"Now today we will be learning about the letters of the alphabet…" the teacher began. Gabriella rolled her eyes. She had tried to convince her mom to let her skip some grades, but she had insisted that she have the kindergarten experience. She surveyed the class. It contained Ryan, Sharpay, Chad, Taylor, who had her nose again in a book, and, to Gabriella's dismay, Troy, who was sitting directly across from her. He gave a small wave, which Gabriella returned with a scowl. She let her mind sink into a stupor while the teacher droned on and on about the ABC's. After thinking it over, she couldn't find a reason why she hated Troy. She realized that her loathing of him had gone up increasingly since the dream.

"Gabriella, please recite the ABC's for me." Mrs. Winterfield's crisp voice broke Gabriella's thoughts.

"A, B,C,D,E, F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z," she recited without taking a breath. The class looked ay her reproachfully.

"Excellent," she said, sounding astounded.

"How were you're first days?" Gina Montez said as Megan and Gabriella walked through the front door, Susan looking much worse for wear.

"East High is _huge!_ I got lost so many times," Megan said tiredly, flopping down in a chair and biting into an apple.

"Oh, it gets better after the first week," Mrs. Montez said.

"I suppose. How was kindergarten, Gabi?" Susan asked, taking another bite.

"Everything is so _easy!_ And guess who's in my class!?" Gabriella said furiously.

"Troy?" Megan said, brushing invisible dust off her blouse. She had heard everything about Troy when she got back from all-summer theatre camp.

"Yeah," Gabriella said moodily.

"Oh, he can't be that bad," Susan said.

Gabriella huffed. She knew she had absolutely no reason to hate Troy, but she needed something to vent her confusion and anger on.

It was a couple weeks later and the classroom was hazy with humidity. No one wanted to think, but Gabriella, being Gabriella, was always up to learning.

She looked down at the sheet the teacher had passed out.

"85+67," Gabriella rolled her eyes at the simple math. She was done with the sheet in a matter of minutes. As she turned over her sheet to signal she was done, a voice whispered in her ear.

"Nice one, Einsteinette," it said icily. Gabriella's spirits sunk, even though she knew that she should not be ashamed of being smart. She didn't have time to look at the talker before Mrs. Winterfield called for attention again. Gabriella sighed and re-learned how to add, that voice still nagging her.

**Author's Note: **The ending sucked, but please review. And I have five new fics in the works, so please check them out when they are posted.


	4. Chapter 4: I Believe You

Author's Note: I'm back with this

**Author's Note: **I'm back with this. Sorry it's been a while since I've last updated, but my teachers are loading us up with work the last three weeks of school :-P. Please review!

**Disclaimer: **I don't even own the chapter plat this time. It belongs to Baby-M-xo (thanks!). We both do not own anything else.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 4: I Believe You**

**By musiclover94 and Baby-M-xo**

Recap…

"Nice one, Einsteinette," it said icily. Gabriella's spirits sunk, even though she knew that she should not be ashamed of being smart. She didn't have time to look at the talker before Mrs. Winterfield called for attention again. Gabriella sighed and re-learned how to add, that voice still nagging her.

Gabriella looked distractedly out the window. The weather was defiantly changing; the leaves were turning orange and crimson and a crisp, early morning air brushed over her face as she half-listened to the teacher talking about the alphabet and pointing to blown-up figures of the different letters. Gabriella's mind drifted back unknowingly to a second vision she had had the previous sight.

Flashback

Gabriella was sitting in the same lonely, bleak room. The same people were there, some with impassive faces, others, like her mother, were positively weeping. But every time she had this dream, something new was added. The time before this, a gloomy pastor dressed in all black had said some words like 'rest in peace' and 'we gather here today'. But she had still not seen the deceased person. This time, she looked over, and again was sitting across from her sobbing dream mother and she saw a mirror right next to her, pointed directly at her. _No, wait…_Gabriella thought, looking again, but more closely, _that's me…but…wait….it _cant _be me, I'm sitting right here…_But indeed she saw herself, maybe a couple years older, looking very subdued and tears glittering in her eyes.

Everyone was getting up. Gabriella's legs walked up on their own accord, catching Gabriella by surprise so that she looked like two small creatures were carrying her rather than her own two legs. They were leading her up to the casket, it was getting closer…She was right beside it now, but some force was pulling her back.

"Gabriella…Gabriella?"

Gabriella awoke with a start as of someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water on her. She sat up abruptly and looked up to see who had woken her. She saw Mrs. Winterfield's slightly wrinkly face hovering in front of her, looking concerned. She felt a hot wave of annoyance surge through her. If she had only waited a second longer…With a surge of guilt, she felt that she really shouldn't be having these visions or dreams or whatever they were. They were bound to mean nothing good. She saw that she was lying on the floor in a spread-eagled position. She stood up hastily and unstuck her again sweat-drenched shirt. Luckily, none of her classmates were around.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Mrs. Winterfield asked, still looking deeply concerned and maybe even a little afraid.

Gabriella said, perhaps a bit too quickly, because Mrs. Winterfield looked disbelieving. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Where are the others?" she asked in a forced casual voice, her mind still going through what she had just seen.

"They're outside for recess, but I think you should stay…" she began.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Gabriella repeated, forcing a smile.

Mrs. Winterfield gave her a worried look again, but let her go.

Gabriella looked around for Taylor, Chad, Ryan, and Sharpay. They were under a tree at the far end of the field along with, unfortunately, Troy. She walked toward them begrudgingly.

"Hey," she said, sitting down in the shade of the magnolia tree where she had met them over the summer.

"Hi Gabriella," they all said.

"Why were you late?" Taylor asked, her nose again in a science book.

"Mrs. Winterfield wanted to ask me something-well, that's not it…" Gabriella said, thinking it best not to lie to her friends. She gave them the details of her dreams and what had just happened.

After she had finished, there was a heavy pause and then Sharpay stood up and said, a bit nervously and also a bit scared, "You're mad." She promptly walked over to the playground with Ryan, who, Gabriella thought, was under contract to follow his twin everywhere.

"Yeah, these dreams don't seem normal," Chad said and took the same path as Sharpay and Ryan took.

"Maybe see a psychologist," Taylor said, closing her book with a _clap _and following Chad. Gabriella sat there through it all, her moth in a gaping mask. She looked at the trodden-on path toward the equipment, the path her supposed friends had took against her, thinking her mad. This was the _last _thing she would have expected from them. She could here them from her post under the tree. They were laughing. Gabriella felt her heart sink. _But I'm not mad….or am I? _She started to panic when she heard a voice so quiet only her acute sense of hearing could detect. It was Troy, who alone had remained, had not joined the others, but still resided under the tree.

"I believe you. I don't think you're mad," he said, looking at his shoes.

Suddenly, all the resentment she had felt toward Troy since she had laid eyes on him vanished. She gave him a small smile and said, "Thanks." Troy blushed slightly.

"Why do you believe me?' she asked after a moment.

"Well, because-because I have dreams like that too," he said, his voice barely over a whisper.

"What?" Gabriella asked incredulously, doing a double-take.

"Except they're about my brother Dylan at his high school, something scribbled on a wall, someone running around with something metal…" He went into a long rambling about it. Gabriella listened looking at her sandals. When he had finished, she looked up.

"When did these dreams start?" she asked.

"When school started. I haven't told anyone except you," he said.

"Same here," Gabriella said.

The bell rang for recess to end. The hastily got up and ran to the door, both deep in thought about what the other had said.

**Author's Note: **Okay, it ended on a weird note, but all in all, I thought it was one of my better chapters, but you are the judges! Please review. Ideas would be greatly appreciated

**Other Stories Note: **I'm sorry I haven't updated Everyone Has a Problem I ages, but I'm running really low on ideas. If you have any, please send them to me in a review, PM, or e-mail (). Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5: Sentimental Lane

**Author's Note: **Please review! And thanks to Sami 8D for the food fight idea!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the plot.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 5: Sentimental Lane **

**By musiclover94**

_Recap…_

"When did these dreams start?" she asked.

"When school started. I haven't told anyone except you," he said.

"Same here," Gabriella said.

The bell rang for recess to end. The hastily got up and ran to the door, both deep in thought about what the other had said.

Troy sat down in the mini chairs in the classroom and opened his workbook. He smiled across the room at Gabriella, who smiled back.

"Gabriella!" Sharpay said shortly to Gabriella from across the table.

"What?" Gabriella scowled. The moment of happiness was shattered.

"Why are you acquainted with Troy?" she asked pompously.

"Because we live across from each other," she said, caught off-guard.

"Well, keep your lunatic paws off him, because he's _mine,_" She tossed her hair and glanced at Troy, who hadn't noticed.

Before Gabriella could respond, Mrs. Winterfield strode into the classroom.

"Good morning, class. Please take out your workbooks and turn to page 49," she said kindly. Gabriella flipped to it lazily. She had completed it yesterday when the teacher went into another drone about numbers.

"And what is 56+19, Gabriella?" Mrs. Winterfield asked.

Gabriella had let her mind wander from the classroom, but snapped back instantly, "It's 75, Mrs. Winterfield," she said proudly.

"Eienstinette strikes again," the cold voice she had heard earlier leered in her ear, loud enough for only her to hear. Gabriella quickly turned around and saw that it was Ryan, who was smirking. _And I thought he was decent…_Gabriella thought, hurt.

The bell rang for the dismissal. Everyone quickly packed up their books, eager to get home before the rain came, for there were ominously dark clouds visible through the window. Gabriella put her books slowly into her bag. She happened to like the rain.

She was walking down the weathered sidewalk when she heard someone call her name. She turned around, her thick, dark, curly hair swinging. Troy was standing there with a huge grin on his face.

Gabriella slowed down her walking so Troy could catch up.

"Hey Gabriella!" he said, still grinning, but it faltered when he saw Gabriella's sad expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked, now sounding worried.

Gabriella thought it best not to lie to her only friend. "Sharpay hates me because I talk to you, in addition to that she thinks I'm a lunatic, and Ryan calls me a 'einsteinette' and Taylor, Chad, Sharpay, and Ryan all think I'm starve-yanking CRAZY!" she said in one breath.

"People have been teasing me too," he said quietly.

"What for?"

"Playing basketball," he said, looking at his feet.

"Why would they tease you about _basketball?_" Gabriella asked incredulously.

"Apparently, people don't like it very much."

"I don't think it's bad," Gabriella said. Admittedly, her sister's long talks about it were sometimes draining, but the sport wasn't all that bad.

"Guess what?" Troy asked, his excitement rising instantly.

"What?"

"Our mothers have made us study partners," Troy said.

Gabriella started at him. "_What?_"

"Study partners. For homework…and stuff like that," he said.

"Oh," she said, still a bit confused. Troy was doing fine in class…

"We're supposed to go to your apartment," Troy said.

"We're home!" Gabriella called to the still-lonely looking apartment at large.

"You can set up on the kitchen table," her mother called from the living room.

They walked to the table, which had a small tray of apples and peanut butter on it.

"So," Gabriella said, "what homework do you have?"

Troy looked skyward, racking his brains, "Hmm….basically everything you have, I guess."

"Let's start with the Grammar stuff," she said, pulling the workbook toward her and beginning, Troy following.

After an hour, even studious Gabriella Montez could not concentrate. She had finished the assignment well before Troy and had taking a sport of lightly chucking apple slices at Troy's head. He had done a reasonably good job of ignoring the pieces of fruit hitting his head. That is, until she accidentally threw an apple piece with peanut butter on it at his hair. He slowly felt his hair. Feeling the mass of goop on his scalp, he slowly looked at Gabriella, who looked paralyzed with surprise and had her hands over her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said, slightly muffled by her hands.

To her complete surprise, Troy started to laugh a true laugh.

"It's fine. I'll wash it off. Where's the bathroom?" he asked, still laughing.

"It's down the hall, first door on the right," she said weakly, still surprised by his reaction.

"Thanks," he said and departed.

Gabriella was left to dwell on the past few weeks in the company of Troy.

Flashback

Gabriella was leaning on the trunk of the magnolia tree that had become sort of their meeting spot. She scanned the park, looking for Troy. He was striding toward her, frowning slightly, but smiling when he saw her.

"Hey Troy, What's up?" she said when he was near enough.

"Nothing much. How about you?"

"I had another one of those dreams," she said.

"What was it about?" he asked seriously. This had become something of a top topic with them.

"Well, it wasn't the funeral again. I was holding a newspaper clipping. But I couldn't see much of the article. But it involved something with East High, I'm sure of it. I couldn't see the article contents or the date. It was like someone had gone in there and blurred out some information. But I do remember feeling really sad, and angry at you for some reason. But I think these dreams or whatever they are related."

"I had a new dream, too," Troy said, "I was at school and everyone was giving me really dirty looks. Including you," he added quietly.

"Why would _I _give _you _a dirty look?" she asked, racking her brain for a prompt.

"I dunno," he said.

End Flashback

I'm back!" Troy said, grinning with all his hair sopping wet. "I think I got most of it off."

"You look so cute with your hair wet," she joked.

Gina Montez entered the room, some of her long dark hair, so much like her daughter's hair, was flecked with dust.

"It's time for you to go, Troy," she said.

"Okay, Mrs. Montez," he said and put his books under his arm and headed to the door.

"Bye, Gabriella. See you tomorrow," he said and opened the door and walked across the hall to his own.

"Done with you're homework, sweetie?" her mother asked.

"Nearly. Still got some math to do." She opened her math book and pretended to do the assigned problem, but really thinking hard on what she had just heard and talked about.

Megan sauntered into the room, looking as flawless and model-like as ever.

"I heard you and Troy talking," she said simply.

"About what?" she asked, her voice getting higher. She didn't want to worry her sister about her and Troy's dreams, what with mid-year finals so close.

"Something about getting teased," she said indifferently.

Gabriella sighed in relief.

Her mind wandered to other memories of Troy, the past few weeks, looking over and seeing that he was staring at her, but when she caught his eye, he quickly averted his gaze. Her sister's voice cut her trip down Sentimental Lane.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

Gabriella looked at her sister. "What?"

"You've been smiling like a lovebird for the past five minutes," she said.

"Oh," she said.

"Whatever, little 'sis," she rolled her eyes, but smiling a smile similar to Troy's, which set Gabriella on a smiling spree again.

**Author's Note: **Please review and check out Sami 8D's writing. It's really good!


	6. Chapter 6: I Can't Help It

Author's Note: I'm back

**Author's Note: **I'm back! Please review and check out Baby-M-xo's and Sami 8D's writing. They helped me with this chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 6: I Can't Help It**

**By musiclover94, Baby-M-xo, and Sami 8D**

Recap…

"Whatever, little 'sis," she rolled her eyes, but smiling a smile similar to Troy's, which set Gabriella on a smiling spree again.

It was a hot May day and the Montez's were at the park again. Gina was writing a paper for her firm, Megan was engrossed in a copy of Us Weekly, and Gabriella was doing her homework with ease. She thought back to the beginning of the year, when she wanted to be in Advanced Kindergarten. That Gabriella seemed like an old friend now. If she were in advanced, Troy wouldn't be there. And he was what was keeping her going these days, when everything else was crumbling down on her.

Flashback

"Gabriella what is 4/4 time?" Mrs. Dee asked her.

"It's four quarter note beats per measure," she stated.

"Excellent!" she smiled at her.

" Loose lunatic strikes again. Nice, Einsteinette," Ryan laughed in her ear. From a teacher's point of view, it might have looked like a word of congratulations, for they could not hear what was being muttered.

Gabriella felt a hot anger flow through her. Who would _want _these dreams!? It wasn't her fault she sees funerals or ominous paper clipping in her sleep.

As Gabriella was striding away from the music room sadly, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Troy there.

"Hey Gabi," he said, "What's up?"

"You know when I answered that 4/4 question and Ryan was saying something in my ear?" she started.

"Yeah."

"He was insulting me. Again," she said, her voice choked up with suppressed tears.

Troy looked very angry and glared at the carpeted floor.

"I mean, _I _can't help it that I'm smart! Or," she continued, lowering her voice, "that I have these visions."

"I know."

"Do people know about _your _visions?" she asked.

"No. I told you, you're the only one that knows," she said.

"You're parents don't even know?" she asked incredulously.

Troy gave a short laugh. "They'd kick me out of the house. My parents, they would be horrified if they found out one of their sons was having odd dreams."

Gabriella looked at him wide eyed. "Isn't that against the law?"

"My parents can get around that. Friendly with the sheriff, you know. Can squeeze out of almost everything," he said, looking determinably at the ground.

"But don't they find you all frazzled after a vision?"

"No. They don't usually happen around people. Mostly when I'm alone," he said, still looked at the floor.

"Mine usually happen in the thick of people," Gabriella said.

"Do you think that symbolizes something?" Troy asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe," she replied after a moment.

"Don't _you _have any homework?" Gabriella asked her sister, who was flipping through a copy of People.

"It's finals week and the teachers are probably not allowed to give us homework under contract," she said, lazily flipping another page.

Gabriella grumbled and returned to her homework.

"Hello Mary!" Gina said, standing up to greet Mrs. Bolton, who had walked over to them with her two sons.

Gabriella smiled at Troy and looked at his brother. Dylan Bolton looked nothing like his brother. He had almost paper-white skin, huge dark eyes, and an unsmiling look on his face. His hair was a messy black mass on his head.

Mrs. Bolton took a seat next to Mrs. Montez and started a conversation about the latest addition to Oprah's book club; Dylan took a seat next to Megan. He looked very mad. Troy sat beside Gabriella.

"Hey Brie," he said, grinning.

"Hey Troy," she said.

"How's school?"

"Really easy, don't you think?" she said, looking at him.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, we're in kindergarten, so everything's pretty easy."

"I suppose."

"So, where'd you move from?" he asked.

"San Francisco, California," she said, a little bit wistfully.

"How long did you live there?"

"All my life," she said sadly.

"It must have been hard to adapt," he said.

"Kinda. But it does help to have friends." She looked right at him and smiled. He smiled back.

The late afternoon sun was beating down on them. The mothers were still in avid conversation, Dylan and Megan were in a heated conversation, and Gabriella and Troy were finger-painting. Gabriella was painting a scene of water lilies, with Troy trying to mimick the piece, yielding poor results.

Gabriella reached for the green, as Troy, mirroring her, reached for it as well. Their hands met. They both looked up and had identical butterflies fluttering in their stomachs. At that moment, looking into each other's eyes, they knew.

**Author's Note: **Blech, I didn't like this chapter a whole lot, but please review and check out Sami 8D and Baby-M-xo's stories. They are really good. And ideas are always welcome!


	7. Chapter 7: Silence

**Author's Note: **Please review! This chapter wouldn't be possible without Sami 8D, so check out her writing, it's really good.

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 7: Silence**

**By musiclover94 and Sami 8D**

_Last Chapter…_

Gabriella reached for the green, as Troy, mirroring her, reached for it as well. Their hands met. They both looked up and had identical butterflies fluttering in their stomachs. At that moment, looking into each other's eyes, they knew.

"Morning, _hijas,_" Gina said to her almost identical daughters a few mornings later. Outside the windows was an unusually cold and blustery morning.

"Morning, _madre,_" they said groggily, stumbling down the stairs.

"What's happening in school today?" she asked, serving them eggs.

"Finals. All day. At least we only have half days," Megan said, gobbling down her eggs with vigor.

"We have a fun, end-of-the-year _spelling bee!_" Gabriella said, faking enthusiasm.

"In kindergarten?" Gina asked skeptically.

"Yeah. As a review of the words we've learned over the year." Gabriella rolled her chocolate-brown eyes.

"You'll dominate for sure," Megan smiled and patted her sister on the back.

"So how are things with Dylan Bolton?" Gina asked her eldest daughter, her eyebrows raised.

Megan frowned. "Bad, really bad."

"Wait, you and Troy's brother are dating?" Gabriella asked, looking at her sister in amazement.

"Yeah, but not for much longer, I think. Things have been rough."

Gabriella sat back in her seat, thinking about this new information.

Gabriella fidgeted in the straight-backed seat as she waited for her turn in the bee. It was winding down from the whole kindergarten grade to just her and a mousy-looking girl she didn't know.

"Liza Brenner," Mrs. Winterfield called over the microphone, her reedy voice echoing off the walls. The mouse girl stood up and walked to the microphone.

"Please spell 'waterwheel'."

The gym was silent for a moment, and then Liza's voice spoke into the microphone, sounding slightly nervous.

"'Waterwheel' W-A-T-E-R-W-E-E-L, 'waterwheel'."

"I'm sorry, but that is incorrect," Mrs. Winterfield said sadly. Liza took a seat by the other people who had gotten out, looking dejected.

Gabriella rose from her seat and walked awkwardly to the stand.

"Gabriella Montez, please spell 'waterwheel'."

The small gym, the students in front of her, basically everything in existence vanished before Gabriella's eyes. She fell over flat on her back, but didn't really feel it. She was walking through the halls of East High, the local public high school where her sister went. She appeared to be with a group very much like her kindergarten class, but they were drastically older, maybe late middle school. They were walking along a whitewashed hallway full of students making their way to class. Peeking into a classroom, Gabriella saw that it was April 11th. They maybe were on a field trip. A tall teenager with almost paper-white skin, huge dark eyes, and a maniacal look on his thin face. He was holding a heavy-looking metal object in one hand and holding a girl around the neck with the other, a girl with thick hair and model-like beauty…

Dylan Bolton held the gun up to Megan Montez's skull and froze it there. The whole hall became deathly quiet. The teacher with Gabriella's future class shuffled them back away from the scene, looking afraid, as did the rest of the class. Gabriella was a kind of ghost in this vision, so she didn't get ushered back.

"If anyone moves, she dies!" Dylan roared to the hallway. Megan was shaking from head to foot, tears streaming out of her bulging eyes. No one moved. Gabriella was frozen in shock.

A teacher came out of a classroom and stopped dead when she saw the scene before her. Dylan pressed the gun harder against Gabriella's sister's head. She started to whimper softly.

The teacher moved back into her classroom slowly, aiming to call the police, misinterpreting Dylan's threat.

Megan saw the Gabriella in the scene, who was struggling with her teacher to get closer. They made eye contact for a brief moment before…

In one swift movement, Dylan pulled the trigger. There was an echoing _boom _as the single bullet went through Megan's skull. She crumpled, dead before she hit the tile flooring. Blood oozed from the bullet wound onto the white floor, sending a sickly scarlet stain upon it.

Before anyone in the scene could react, Dylan put the gun to his own head and shot. He fell to the ground a little ways away from his victim, his unseeing eyes glazed over.

Gabriella's scream was never heard. She was being pulled back through years and years of blurry existence back into the present.

She was now lying on the hard wooden floor and several adults were hovering over her, matching looks of worry and a little bit of fear on their faces. She didn't accept their helping hands. She stood up shakily and said "Waterwheel. W-A-T-E-R-W-H-E-E-L, waterwheel"

"That's correct. Gabriella is the winner of the Spelling Bee," Mrs. Winterfield said oddly. She was one of the adults who were hovering over Gabriella. She bolted out of the gym as fast as her quaking legs could take her. The gym was completely silent. It reminded Gabriella horribly of the dead silence of the East High hallway.

Someone caught her on the shoulder. She whipped her head around, her hair flying. Ryan Evans was smirking at her.

"Nice demonstration there, Lonny Einsteinette," he laughed. Gabriella wanted to punch him.

She had her hand on the door handle when another hand caught her shoulder. She turned around, in no mood for any falsely compassionate adults or teasing peers. On the contrary, Troy was standing there.

"Gabi?" he asked quietly.

And finally, Gabriella understood why she had hated Troy from sight. These visions, they were true, and like it or not, they were going to happen. The part of her brain that controlled the visions was hinting her about Troy's wrongdoings from the very beginning, but she had ignored it after a while. With a look of renewed loathing at him, she turned on her heel and walked out the door, leaving a confused Troy in her wake.

**Author's Note: **Please review and check out Sami 8D's work. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8: Mental Hospital

**Author's Note: **Please review!

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 8: Mental Hospital**

**By musiclover94**

_Last Chapter…_

And finally, Gabriella understood why she had hated Troy from sight. These visions, they were true, and like it or not, they were going to happen. The part of her brain that controlled the visions was hinting her about Troy's wrongdoings from the very beginning, but she had ignored it after a while. With a look of renewed loathing at him, she turned on her heel and walked out the door, leaving a confused Troy in her wake.

--

"How was school, Gabriella?" Gina Montez asked. Megan was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, reading Us Weekly. "Hey, little sis," she said.

Gabriella ached to give her sister, some kind of warning of what was to come, but only said, "Hey big sis."

"How was the spelling bee? Anything exciting happen?" she asked, turning another page and looking at her sister.

Gabriella thought 'exciting' was a major understatement. "I won."

"As expected." Megan smiled.

I don't know how it gets better then this

_You take my hand and drag me head first_

_Fearless…_

"Hello?" Megan said into her phone.

She had left it on Speakerphone, but didn't know it, so their mother and Gabriella could hear the deadly voice issuing out of it.

"Gabriella?" Dylan said in a voice barely above a whisper, but it was far deadlier than a yell could ever be.

"Dylan?" Megan asked, sounding afraid.

"I've seen you chatting with Mark Evans a lot."

"And what's the problem with that?" she replied defiantly but he voice shook.

"If you haven't noticed, we're going out, Gabriella," he said icily.

"Not for long, Dylan." Megan said, sounding surprisingly strong despite the definite fear inside her.

"Oh, this relationship will come to a sure end, Gabriella. For both of us." He hung up.

Gina looked very confused and started to comfort her eldest daughter, who looked very scared, unlike her ringtone. Gabriella looked from her sister to her sister's phone in utter horror. This call, maybe even a series of them before this one, would cause the scene in her vision. She would _not _let that happen to her family.

"Mom, what year will it be when I'm in eighth grade?"

Her mother was puzzled, but answered, "2016, Gabriella. Why do you ask?"

This time, Gabriella didn't address her mother, but her sister, "Megan, don't go out of the house on April 11th, 2016. I'm begging you." There was a note of desperation in her voice.

"Why?" Megan replied shakily.

She couldn't just say 'Oh, nothing'. Her sister's life was depending on it. She recounted the vision she had had over again. When she had finished, both of her family members looked at her with expressions twin to Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, and Taylor. She knew what was going to happen a second before it did.

Her mother stood up and said loudly, with a tone of fear toward her youngest daughter, "We're taking you to a mental hospital."

**Author's Note: **Keep in mind that this is a complete work of _fiction._ **No flames. **Please review!


	9. Chapter 9: That's What They All Say

**Author's Note: **Please review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 9: That's What They All Say**

**By musiclover94**

_Last Chapter…_

When she had finished, both of her family members looked at her with expressions twin to Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, and Taylor. She knew what was going to happen a second before it did. Her mother stood up and said loudly, with a tone of fear toward her youngest daughter, "We're taking you to a mental hospital."

--

Gabriella didn't move, too shocked to make any sudden movements. Megan looked from her mother to he little sister, thinking fast. You could almost see the gears cranking, thinking of what to say.

"Mom, I think you're taking this too far. Gabriella isn't crazy…" she reasoned, but Mrs. Montez cut her off, her voice sounding like a whip.

"Megan, you are not the adult around here," she said in a deadly whisper. Before anyone else could say anything, Gina turned around and dialed a number. She talked in hushed tones to someone for several minutes. Gabriella, finally regaining feeling in her legs, ran to her sister, who opened her arms to let her in. She patted her hair as Gabriella shook. Not a single tear fell, she was too much in shock.

Their mother put down the phone and turned around. In a few steps and one swift movement, Gina Montez had her daughter in a binding grip and was leading her to the door. Gabriella struggled, but her attempts were fruitless. She led the curly-haired youth to the car and put her in the backseat. Gabriella turned around when she heard a screen door slam.

Her beautiful sister was running up to them, attempting to stop them, but Gina quickly hopped into the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway. Gabriella shot one last pleading look at her sister before the car turned a bend and disappeared from sight.

Gabriella looked startlingly around the asylum waiting room. It was completely white, down to the floor and up to the ceiling fans. There were no people there except for an old receptionist, who, after exchanging some words with Gabriella's mother, ushered them into a room.

It was almost identical to the room they had just left, except there was a pure white hospital-like bed with two thick leather straps on the sides…

In what seemed like a heartbeat, two assistants had Gabriella in a grip similar to her mother's and had her fastened to the whitewashed bed, the thick straps tight around her midsection.

Her mother had vanished, but one of the assistants had lingered a moment longer than the others. Gabriella said quickly, "But I'm not insane!"

The worker turned around, looked the frantic little girl straight in the eye, and said, "That's what they all say." She closed the door with a finality of impending doom. Gabriella struggled for a few minutes, and then gave up. _This can't be happening…_she thought to herself. _I'm going to wake up and this will all be a terrible, horrible dream…_

Not a moment after she said this, the door burst open and Megan came in, looking panicked. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her sister.

"I can't believe Mom did this to you…"

Upon seeing her sister, Gabriella struggled against the straps like a fish out of water.

"What, Gabi?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't…go…to school on….April 11th…2016…" she choked. The bonds on her were awfully strong.

"Gabriella," Megan said, laying a hand on Gabriella's quaking shoulder, "I'll be fine."

"But that phone call!" Gabriella gagged.

"Dylan's all talk, Gabibear. That…dream or vision or whatever, it's just a dream!"

Her cell phone rang. Megan hastily got it out of her jeans pocket. She scowled at whatever was on the small screen. "I have to go, Gabriella. Trust me, I'll be fine on the 11th." She gave her sister a hug and left.

**Author's Note:** A filler chapter, I know. Please review!


	10. Chapter 10: You Don't Know Me

**Author's Note:** I really need ideas for this story and my other one, Relocation. If you have any ideas, please send them to me. Thanks! And please review.

**Disclaimer: **Only the plot, people…

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 10: You Don't Know Me**

**By musiclover94**

_Last Chapter…_

"Dylan's all talk, Gabibear. That…dream or vision or whatever, it's just a dream!"

Her cell phone rang. Megan hastily got it out of her jeans pocket. She scowled at whatever was on the small screen. "I have to go, Gabriella. Trust me, I'll be fine on the 11th." She gave her sister a hug and left.

_I hate this place, I hate this place, I hate this place…_Gabriella chanted morbidly inside her head as she stared at the white tile above her, the leather straps cutting against her small arms. The door opened with a depressing click, like everything in this place. As she saw who was coming through the door, she tried fruitlessly to move as far away from him as possible.

"I…I brought you your schoolwork," Troy said, handing the pile of books to her as if they were going to bite him if he held them one second longer. She muttered a word of thanks as she took them, not looking into his blue-gray eyes.

"Gabriella," he said softly, looking at her, with Gabriella still looking pointedly at her knees, "we need to talk."

"What's there to say?" Gabriella asked fiercely, looking up for the first time and glaring at him.

"There's plenty to say, Gabriella," he continued calmly, "Like whatever happened at the spelling bee today."

The spelling bee. It seemed so distant now, like it had happened months ago. Was it really today? "Ok, Bolton, I had a freak-out moment. Not a big deal," she lied.

"Gabriella, it _is _a big deal!" he said, still looking directly at her. "You wouldn't be hiding it so much if it was something small and unimportant. I know you."

Gabriella scoffed at the last remark. "You don't know me, you don't know anything about me. Get. Out." She raised one finger and pointed to the door.

To her surprise, Troy got up without a fight. "Whatever you say. But I'll be back tomorrow."

"Whatever," she frowned.

Troy turned tail and walked out of the room, leaving Gabriella to wallow once again in her misery.

**Author's Note:** This is the worst chapter I've ever written, you can't deny it. _**I NEED IDEAS! If you have any, please send them to me in a review. I really need them. Please review. And id you have nay for Relocation, I could update that one. PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Outside Looking In

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the late update, but I've been busy. Please review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**What Is This Feeling?**

**Chapter 11: Outside Looking In**

**By music is happiness and –I.Panic.At.The.Crisco-**

_Last Chapter…_

Gabriella scoffed at the last remark. "You don't know me, you don't know anything about me. Get. Out." She raised one finger and pointed to the door.

To her surprise, Troy got up without a fight. "Whatever you say. But I'll be back tomorrow."

"Whatever," she frowned.

Troy turned tail and walked out of the room, leaving Gabriella to wallow once again in her misery.

--

Gabriella Montez, now thirteen years old, walked down the hallway toward English class feeling like an animal at a zoo. Everyone was gawking at her as she walked by, whispering to their friends. She had been able to handle it so far, but she felt that she was just about to her breaking point.

She had been released from the hospital a month ago, but her mother and the doctors ordered her to stay at home for a few weeks after being out. This was he first day back in what seemed like a week. She didn't want to be back here. Every time the horrifying vision on the eleventh flashed back into her mind, Megan pushed it back gently, saying each time, "Gabriella, I'm going to be fine. You've just been watching the news too much."

She sat down in her seat and glanced at the huge calendar on the board, depicting that it was February 11th. The bad feeling in her stomach lurched up and her face turned a shade of puce. She had only two months to convince her sister to stay home that fateful day.

"Gabi?" A voice she didn't want to hear whispered to her.

She sat forward, not looking to her left.

After the unwanted voice whispered in her ear a few more times, her patience gave in and she whipped her head around and hissed, "_What?_" The one word came out choked by the sight of the person talking to her.

Troy Bolton looked just about the same as he always did, except he was taller. She looked away pointedly, because she saw, behind his face, a pale face with a manic expression, with big dark eyes…She was about to gather her books and go to a free desk, but the teacher, Ms. Williams, walked into the instantly silent room.

Gabriella slumped in her seat, unwilling to bear another day.

Gabriella was walking faster than usual, heading toward her last period, Math. She was a few yards from the door when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her into a deserted hallway, a rarity at Groves Middle School.

She had her hand up and ridged, poised to hit her captor, hard, in the face. No one seemed to notice that Gabriella was missing. She saw that it was Troy in the half-light coming in from the other hallway. This didn't change anything, but she didn't strike, keeping her hand up, her eyes deadly.

"Gabi?" he asked, still holding the loose grasp he had on her arm.

She continued to glare, saying nothing.

"Gabi, please talk to me," he pleaded.

"Why should _I _have to talk to _you?_" she hissed, yanking her arm out of his hand.

"I just can't leave things like we did at the bee all those years ago, Brie. You can not forgive me for whatever I did to upset you, that's fine. I just wanted to try to make things right between us. Just, please, listen to what I have to say."

She glared at the wall across from her, refusing to look into his eyes. "Things can never be right between us, Troy. Not since I saw…" her voice broke and a tear fell down her cheek.

"Saw what?"

His innocent question brought new hatred to her voice. "Saw your psychopath brother kill my sister! In two months!" She shrieked the words; the buzz in the hallway was too loud for anyone to hear them. She sounded hysterical.

Troy's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "T-that's what you s-saw?"

"Yes." Her voice was clipped.

"But can't you….make your sister not go to school on that day?"

"That's what I'm trying to do! What I've been trying to do since I saw it! But _no one will listen to me!_"

"Brie, listen to me…" he said weakly, hating to see her in anguish.

"No, Troy. _You _listen to _me!_" There were more tears flowing down her cheeks now, clouding her vision. She didn't know why she was going to say what she was going to say, but she did it anyway.

"At one point in time, I loved you, Troy. _Loved you._ But I instantly hated you when I first saw you, when I moved into the apartment across from yours. And now I know why." Her voice was shaking. Troy was silent.

"These…visions that I have, they are going to come true, whether I want them to or not. When I saw you, my brain was trying to tell me to avoid you, because you were, and still are, trouble. But being a fool I ignored it and got in too deep with you. You can't fix damage like that with words, Troy."

His arm dropped to his side, his expression a thousand different emotions. She ran out of the hallway, tears blurring her path.

The final bell rang and Gabriella rushed out of her Math class, not because she didn't enjoy the material, but because she wanted to leave the school in general.

She was halfway to her locker when she heard her name being whispered behind her back, with words like 'freak', 'delusional', and 'crazy' around it. They didn't bother her as much as the last word, spoken by a voice that was obviously male: 'Loony Einsteinette'.

She whipped around, her brunette curls hitting her tear-stained cheek. And sure enough, there were Ryan and Sharpay Evans, surrounded by her other ex-friends, Chad and Taylor, who were still snickering at whatever one of the Evans' had said.

This, combined with her fight with Troy, pushed her over the edge. She walked a few steps over to them, looking a fierce kind of angry. They all fully expected her to punch them, or something to that effect. But she surprised them all, and maybe even herself.

_You don't know my name  
You don't know anything about me  
I try to play nice  
I want to be in your game  
The things that you say  
You may think I never hear about them  
But word travels fast  
I'm telling you to your face  
I'm standing here behind your back_

She didn't sound that angry. Her voice had a mix of anger and maybe some pity. They looked at her, puzzled.

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in_

_If you could read my mind  
You might see more of me that meets the eye  
And you've been all wrong  
Not who you think I am  
You've never given me a chance_

After school stragglers were noticing Gabriella now. A small crowd was forming, creating a sort of human wall by Chad, Taylor, Ryan, and Sharpay. She didn't look that them, focusing just on the ones who had hurt her the most.

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in_

_Well, I'm tired of staying at home  
I'm bored and alone  
I'm sick of wasting all my time_

Sharpay was whispering something to Chad, and Taylor was whispering something to Ryan. Both parties were looking at her strangely, as if she had had another vision episode. The other crowd-goers looked confusedly at someone or something behind Gabriella. She didn't turn and look, still looking at her ex-friends.

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in_

You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in

Without a word, she gave one last look at her original audience and rotated on her heel to walk to her locker. She twisted the combo with shaking fingers, having to do it over twice. A piece of paper fluttered out of the top onto the floor. She picked it up. It was on a piece of loose-leaf paper, with the name 'Gabriella' written on it in surprisingly neat print. She opened the folded piece and looked at whatever was inside.

In the same neat script, a few words were written.

_**Gabriella-**_

**_Please meet me on the balcony at lunch period, February 14__th__._**

_**An admirer**_

She read it over several times, her eyebrows stayingin the same confused line over her face. She stuffed it back into her locker, trying to get it out of her mind.

**Author's Note:** Please review! The song is Outside Looking In by Jordan Pruitt.


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